NURTW: Police arrest 7, deny shooting union members

n n

By Kingsley Omonobi

n

Abuja — The FCT Police Command on Monday denied claims circulating on social media that its officers shot at members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at their Garki II headquarters, saying the reports were false and misleading.

n

The police said the incident occurred after they received a distress call about violent clashes between rival factions of the union. In response, officers arrested seven suspects at the scene, identified as Sularman Musa, Nasiru Ibrahim, Alhaji Sadisu Musa, Dalha Suleiman, Abdullahi Garba, Saheed Fojebi, and Ibikunle Baruwa. The suspects have since been charged to Magistrate Court 1, Wuse Zone 2.

n

According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, about 300 individuals, armed with cutlasses, bottles, bows, and arrows, had stormed the NURTW headquarters along Sapele Street at around 7 a.m., attempting to enforce a court order without court sheriffs or officials present.

n

“This action escalated into a physical confrontation when other union members resisted,” SP Adeh said. “One victim sustained severe machete wounds to the neck and was rescued by the police, while several others with varying injuries were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.”

n

The police confirmed that no firearms were discharged by officers and that normalcy has since been restored to the area.

n

The FCT Command urged the public to support security efforts by providing timely information through its emergency lines: 08032003913 and 08061581938, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents of the Federal Capital Territory.

n n